Portrait of Ari Redon 1884 - 1892

Odilon Redon made this portrait of his son Ari using pastel, a medium that’s all about directness and touch. The sticks of pigment allow the artist to build up color with a feathery lightness, a quality you can really see in the floral background. Pastels are interesting because they sit in a sort of in-between zone, not quite drawing, not quite painting. Redon exploits this ambiguity, creating a surface that feels both immediate and dreamlike. Unlike oil paint, which can be blended and reworked for ages, pastel demands a certain decisiveness. You can see how Redon has used individual strokes to define Ari's features and the surrounding flora, leaving a slightly granular texture. The choice of pastel also speaks to Redon’s broader artistic project. He was interested in exploring inner states of mind, and the ephemeral quality of pastel lends itself perfectly to this. It’s a medium that allows for spontaneity and a sense of fleeting beauty, far removed from the industrialised processes of the time. Ultimately, focusing on the materials and making helps us appreciate the thought and care Redon put into creating this image.